Catching My Breath
by Francesco20020809
Summary: It's a new school year at Iridium High. Mia has transferred out of Iridium and moved back to North Florida with her aunt. Jax and Emma are finally together and Daniel is left heartbroken. Meanwhile a new student named Mei, enrolls in Iridium High and discovers secrets of her own.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"We'll miss you Mei, you're best friends Kennedy, Alice, and Cleo", I read, as I hold the two ends of the card.

"Mei. Mei. We're almost there", my legal guardian, Clara said, turning the wheel of the car.

I looked up at the car's window, to see a row of palm trees moving along with the wind, the sun gleaming onto the blue water that led to the tall buildings in the distance.

"You're going to love Miami; it's where I grew up before moving to England", Clara looking at me with her green eyes.

"I'm sure I will", I said, but I was lying.

"That's good and I'm sure you'll find time for all your interests here"

"That's what I would like", I replied.

You're probably wondering where my mother or father is and why I have a nanny instead. To be honest, I don't know. My mother and father disappeared when I was younger, and sent Clara to be my legal guardian. Until today, I lived in Hong Kong and 10 different countries before that, since Clara works for a life insurance company that operates all over the world. Long story short, we move a lot. After about 20 more minutes of driving, the large black Porsche car came to a stop in front of a white 1 story house that had orange terracotta roof tiles and tall palm trees in the front.

"Seems quite small", I said grabbing my suitcase from the trunk of the car, before slamming it shut.

"It's bigger on the inside", Clara said, as she opened one of the wooden double doors.

Once I stepped inside, I saw the house already equipped with an L shaped leather sofa, a 46 inch flat screen television with a cable box and DVD player, a glass coffee table, a separate dining room, and a gourmet kitchen. Also, all around the house where bi fold doors with 9 panels that went all around the house.

"Luckily I bought it fully furnished", Clara said, sitting on the couch.

"Is that a golf course outside?" I asked, as I looked outside through the glass panel to see the extensive greenery, palm trees, and a glimpse of the other house that was in the distant.

"Yes, I know right a golf course as a backyard, it's perfect for my morning walk", Clara said, using a stylist on her phone.

I rolled my suitcase to my empty room filled with a bed, wall shelves, and a walk in storage closet, a bathroom, and a window that revealed the cars that passed the street filled with the Spanish styled homes in the private residential community.

"The movers put your stuff in your bedroom closet by the way", Clara said, making her way to the end of the hallway to her room.

"Okay, thanks Clara", I said.

"After I take a shower, we're going into the city for a nice dinner", Clara said, before going in her bedroom.

"I guess this will do… for now", I said looking at my room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My dark brown eyes opened, to just be blinded by the sunlight beaming through my silk bedroom curtains. I woke up still feeling full of all the food I had eaten at Il Mulino New York last night. I pulled the bed sheet off of my body and let my feet touch the cold hard floor. As I made my way to the bathroom to freshen up, a heard a slight knock on the wooden door of my bedroom.

"Good morning… wow you really decorated your room", Clara said, even though all I did was put books and some of my belongings on the wall shelves.

"Good morning to you as well Clara", I said, politely.

"Good thing you're awake because you have school to get to", Clara said with a slight smile.

"School… already?" I asked, with a puzzled expression.

"Yup today's your first day at Iridium High School"

"Okay, but I haven't really prepared yet… I haven't even finished studying organic chemistry or the rudiments for cooperative law or anatomy or calculus", I said, telling a lie again.

"Don't worry they teach a much different and easier curriculum, anyways you school starts at 8 sharp and you're uniform and your backpack is in your closet, so hurry up", Clara said.

"Aren't you going to drive me?"

"Sorry Mei, I have to attended a very important conference now but the school isn't that far, it's only a 10 minute walk or 15 minute, I don't know"

"Also your lunch is on the counter as well as the keys in case I might not be home… I'm running late bye", Clara said, as she ran out of the room, with her booming heels.

"7:30", I said with a worried look on my face, as I glanced at the numbers that flipped on the minute and hour on my alarm clock.

I quickly brushed my teeth, untied my ponytail and brushed my long straight brown hair that went all the way to the middle of my back, and took off my green nightgown. I put on an orange polo shirt, a khaki skirt with blue stripes near the hem, a blue sophisticated cardigan with an orange trim, and lace white tights with plaid flat shoes.

"7:45… I hope I could make it in time", I said, as I rushed out my room with my aquamarine colored backpack.

I walked out of the door with my lunch and keys in my bag then made my way up the residential street. While walking the long distance and lifted the arm of the security gate, I ran down the street after realizing it was 7:50. But my run was interrupted when a sprinkler moved furiously towards me and splashed me, ruining my school uniform. I looked up to see only a girl with curly brown hair, brown eyes, and olive toned skin. She was wearing a flappy khaki skirt with a blue sophisticated jacket and an orange polo shirt. She also on grey knee socks that had two pink strips to the grey glittery shoes with purple laces

"I am so sorry, are you all right?" The girl asked, as she came to me.

"Sure I think… my clothes are just a little wet, you don't have to be sorry it's not your fault", I said.

"Uh… I know, I'm just really sorry it happened"

"That water just jumped out of nowhere"

"Yeah, there's just a lot of wind coming from the ocean… it is Miami", the girl said, with a smile.

"Right…"

"You go to Iridium High?" The girl asked.

"Yeah it's actually my first…" I said being interrupted, when a boy with light tan skin, brown eyes, and black Elvis inspired hair wearing blue button shirt with an orange and blue striped tie along with khaki pants, came up to the girl.

"Hey Em", the boy said, with a strong Australian accent.

"Jax", Emma said, as she hugged him and I rolled my eyes.

"I think I'm going to go now", I said, everyone paying no mind while I leave.

Finally I reached the school. It was a large Spanish Colonial- style building that had the school name and logo placed on the vinyl banners scattered throughout the front.

"I guess this is it…" I said, walking towards the medieval style wooden doors.

I walked down the bright and airy hallways, realizing I had no idea where I was going. Then I saw him. I gazed at a tall boy with brown hair that was in a brush up style and blue eyes, wearing the dress up suit and tie version of the uniform.

"Are you okay… you seem lost?" The boy asked.

"Um… I'm fine now… I mean… I'm looking for the principal's office; do you know where it is?" I asked, smiling.

"Yeah it's up this hallway near the entrance", the boy said.

"Thank you I appreciate it", I said, turning around.

"It's the first day of school, how could I possibly have a crush on someone", I said, to myself as I shook my head before entering the main office.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"You'll love Iridium High… what's your name again", said a grown man with tanned skin, brown hair, and brown eyes, who was wearing a suit and was sitting on the other side of the wooden office desk that was filled with neatly organized papers and binders.

"It's Mei" I said, sitting in the office chair.

"That's a nice name"

"Thank you, it means beauty in Chinese, Mandarin to be exact"

"That's nice, so as I was saying we have tons of activities and classes for you to choose from, which is on the pamphlet I gave you, what are you in too?", the man asked.

"Well my passion is drawing"

"Interesting, so how are your grades?"

"Good I have straight A's, all while memorizing Pi to 950 digits and spending at least 1 hour in the day to draw, I still manage to get exactly eight hours of sleep a night".

"Frightening", the man replied.

"Hey da… Principal Alonso", said the same girl who I ran into earlier, as she closed the beige cream colored door that had a window with wooden blinds behind her.

"Good Emma you're here, this is Mei Shevchenko she's a student transfer from China I think?"

"Actually Hong Kong and I lived in many countries before that too", I said, as the girl rolled her eyes.

"Yes, could you show her around the school?"

"Uh… sure come on", Emma said, as I got up and we left the office.

"Aren't you that girl who… with the….?" Emma asked.

"I am and in case you're wondering, yes I'm still wet"  
"Um… so where are you from?" Emma asked, desperately trying to make conversation.

"Oh… I'm from Beijing, my mother is Chinese and Singaporean as for my father who's Ukrainian, but I look a lot more like my mother than my father and I love to…"

"If I wanted a biography I would've asked" Emma said.

"Um…"

"Sorry I'm just a little tired"

"Right…" I said, with a fading smile.

* * *

"Okay so we have lunch now and the cafeteria straight through there, the food is decent but just don't eat the tacos on Tasty Taco Tuesday"

"I won't I brought my own lunch"

"So you're that new girl everybody's been talking about", a girl with long blonde curly hair and hazel eyes, wearing a blazer, a skirt, a tie, an orange blouse, and a pair expensive high heels; she also had two girls walking behind of her.

"Hi I'm Maddie, head of the Panthers and this is Katie and Sophie", the girl said, as she pointed to a girl with dark skin, curly brown hair, and brown eyes, wearing the same uniform as Maddie; and to another girl with blue eyes and short blonde hair, wearing a uniform like Emma's.

"Um… Hi and how do you know about me?" I asked.

"Oh it's all over Miss. Information, the school gossiper", Sophie said.

"Don't worry they're harmless, see you later, have a good lunch", Emma said, with a smile before walking away.

"Cute clothes, nice hair, although a little puny but we'll fix you, so how would you like to be a Panther?" Maddie asked, with a smile on her face.

"Sorry I don't like being a part of exclusive cliques", I said.

"But we're the most popular girls in school, do you have brain damage or something", Maddie said, as I began to walk towards the cafeteria.

"Hey, I'm talking", Maddie said, as her and the Panthers rolled their eyes.

"Ugh… I have a feeling she's up to something but I don't know what"

"What do you mean?" Katie asked.

"I mean every girl in school would want to be a Panther except for Andi but she's obsessed with zombies"

"I don't every girl in the school would want to', Sophie said.

"Just keep an eye on her, Panthers to the bathroom stat, I think I broke a nail at the beach yesterday", Maddie said, as her and the Panthers walked up the hallway.


End file.
